Abstract: A method of cooling white cement clinker sintered in a rotary kiln includes the following steps: introducing the white cement clinker from the rotary kiln into a first cooling stage; comminuting the white cement clinker in the first cooling stage; quenching the white cement clinker with a coolant in the first cooling stage in a short dwell period in an oxygen-poor environment to a mean temperature of approximately between 650.degree. C. and 750.degree. C.; introducing the white cement clinker from the first cooling stage into a second cooling stage; mixing and simultaneously conveying the white cement clinker in the second cooling stage in an oxygen-poor environment for a period of at least 15 seconds for obtaining a homogeneous mixture of particles of the white cement clinker and for further cooling the white cement clinker to a temperature of approximately between 550.degree. C. and 650.degree. C.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for decontaminating contaminated soils and similar materials, the method includes (a) drying and comminuting contaminated soil and similar material in a mill through which a flow of hot gases is passed to provide a mixture of solids and gases; (b) introducing the mixture into a cyclone separator where the mixture is separated into gaseous and solid components; (c) thermally treating the solid components in a decontamination zone at a temperature effective to decontaminate at least a portion of the solid components; (d) passing the solid components after thermally treating same in step (c) into a dwell zone configured as a flow-through region; (e) thermally treating the solid components within the dwell zone at a temperature effective to decontaminate at least a portion of the solid components; (f) cooling the solid components after step (e) by transferring same into a cooling region of a cooling line; (g) thermally afterburning gaseous components from at least one of steps (b) and (c